Leading Off

Don’t look now, but it is possible to enjoy baseball, even when the team you follow is terrible. Case in point: the Orioles beat the Yankees in a three-game series, and their fans were sad. Also fun: card the Yankees fans at the stadium, and listen to their tales of why it’s OK that they’re turncoats.

Drink of the Week

Join us for the Drink of the Week, and let us know how you’re consoling yourself as you watch the O’s. Find us on Untappd

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This Week on the Twitters

I wish the offense wasn’t completely impotent but half of the game being unwatchable is an improvement from last year when the whole game was unwatchable

— Trill Foden (@jjlinnjj) April 20, 2022

A's announce tonight's attendance at 3,748.

— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) April 20, 2022

Regarding the Orioles broadcast delay, this video clip illustrates perfectly. You can see the ball has gotten into the OF at :06. Kevin doesn't get excited that the ball is through until :09. It's unfair to those guys to leave them hanging when there's an easy solution. https://t.co/rPdzxKtvNw

— Camden Chat (@CamdenChat) April 20, 2022

A $228M (third highest payroll in MLB) team just lost to a $37M (lowest payroll in MLB) team because their $38M closer walked in a run.

The Orioles beating the Yankees because Aroldis Chapman blew it is laugh out loud funny. pic.twitter.com/IO2x3vbXrF

— Jordan Moore (@iJordanMoore) April 16, 2022

Around the Bases

First Base: Decisions, Decisions

The Orioles made a number of decisions this week, including:

• Whether to DFA DJ Stewart
• Where to play Trey Mancini
• How to fill the rotation

Second Base: Is Cedric Mullins OK?

TELL US EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE.

It’ll be fine, right?

Third Base: RISPy Business

It’s been discussed ad nauseum, but that’s because it’s still happening: the Orioles are not hitting with runners in scoring position. It would be comical if it were not so heartbreaking. When will the madness end? And will it do so before the pitching falters?

Home Plate: The pitching has been… actually, really good.

While the Orioles have failed to hit, they have put on a clinic on the mound. Starters (OK, openers at this point) have been fortunate not to get roughed up, and the bullpen has looked really good. There are so many plus arms in the bullpen that are showing that, when used properly, they can be dominant pieces.

The real question is how long can they last before getting overused? And are the Orioles willing to bring up young pitching to avoid keeping that from happening? — Probably not. Expect sadness, with a chance of meatballs.

In the Bag

We’re joined by Heather Linington-Noble to discuss the Orioles bag policy at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. She has authored a petition at change.org, and we encourage you to lend your voice to this issue.

Dumb things for dumb reasons might have once been a staple of baseball operations decisions, but they shouldn’t be part of the gameday experience. Lean on the Orioles to make this one right.

Blowing the Save

Most podcasts try to end on a high note – the perfect coda to a quality program. That’s just not our style. Each week, we’ll end on a weak note, blowing the save with an item that didn’t quite fit into the episode, or something they simply need to get off their chests. It’s our version of taking the ball and pulling a Kevin Gregg.

Your Turn

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